Hopes of a first all Scottish final in The Amateur Championship for 103 years were dashed at Royal Troon on Friday afternoon when both the remaining Scottish players were defeated at the semi final stage.It was in 1909 that the last all Scottish final took place at Muirfield, home of the Honorable Company Of Edinburgh Golfers, when Robert Maxwell (Tantallon) beat Captain C K Hutchieson of the host club by 1 hole to take the title.
This year, Paul Ferrier from Baberton faced Irishman Alan Dunbar (Rathmore) in the first semi final whilst local hope Jack McDonald from Kilmarnock Barassie faced Austrian Matthias Schwab in the other semi final match.
Hopes of an all Scottish final were dashed when Dunbar beat Ferrier by 3 & 2 to take his place in the final.
A large crowd of local supporters followed McDonald's match on Friday afternoon but saw thier favourite go two holes behind during the early part of the match before fighting back to square the match after fifteen.
Both players found the green in three at the sixteenth, with Schwab to putt first. His effort from 20 feet was running boldly across the green when it struck the hole and disappeared for his four. Despite a good putt, McDonald failed to match his opponent's effort and went one down in the match once more.
At the penultimate hole, both players found the green with their tee shots with Schwab having a putt from around 25 feet for birdie and McDonald being a little closer.
Schwab's effort hung agonisingly on the lip of the hole and a three was conceded. Although McDonald's putt was plumb on line for the hole it pulled up a foot short and the hole was halved, leaving Schwab one ahead with one to play.
The Austrian cut his tee shot into the right roungh at the eighteenth tee but McDonald was unable to take advantage, finding a fairway bunker on the left with his tee shot.
McDonald played out to the middle of the fairway before Schwab left the door ajar a little by missing the green long and left with his approach.
With McDonald playing his third to the centre of the green leaving him a 15 foot putt for his par, Schwab chipped up to within four feet with his third shot.
Despite striking his par putt well, McDonald saw the ball drift right of the hole, leaving him with a finishing five and prompting a concession of the par patt and the hole to Schwab to give the Austrian a two hole win.
The 36 hole final between Alan Dunbar (Ireland) and Mattias Schwab (Austria) tees off on Saturday morning at 8.30 a.m.
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